Gun Hazard Original Soundtrack

Gun Hazard Original Soundtrack has not been given the credit it deserves. The common perception that I have found, both in magazines and on the internet, is that the soundtrack is "disappointing" and "a low point for its accomplished composers" (clearly referring to Nobuo Uematsu and Yasunori Mitsuda). I'd like to provide a different perspective. The first step is to not compare it to any of said composers' previous scores. Final Fantasy or Chrono Trigger vs. Gun Hazard? No way - apples and oranges. Gun Hazard is meant to sound military, not epic. Step two is to allow the composers' versatility to shine through. To limit Uematsu and Mitsuda to the "epic" musical genre is an insult to their talent and creativity.

Step three is to pop in the CD and give it a fair hearing (excuse the pun). As well as some kick-ass sound programming, there really are some -gasp- great melodies! Mitsuda's "Voice Of Ark" is beautifully villainous, with a throbbing rhythm reminiscent of Danny Elfman's "First Confrontation" for Batman. On the lighter side, "A Store Keeper" has a good beat and an awesome horn sample. The frenetic pace and killer harmonies of Uemtasu's "Warning Two" and "202" will get your blood pumping - then his "Blue Sky ~ Blue Sky" will calm you back down. And anyone who claims to be a fan of Uematsu can't *not* like the Golbez-esque "Atlas". Nothin' like a little pre-climax organ solo to set the mood. Come to a close with Mitsuda's uplifting "Heaven's Door" and brilliant "Trial Zone" and you've just had one hell of a musical experience.

In another team-up of god-like composers Nobuo Uematsu and Yasunori Mitsuda, the two responsible for Chrono Trigger, the two have produced another remarkable soundtrack. Many people rejected Gun Hazard because it's done in a different style, as opposed to their usual techniques. But indeed, Gun Hazard's soundtrack was *meant* to be military, and not epic. The composers are more unobstructed with their compositions now, and its just cool to listen to.

There is a lot to like in Gun Hazard. The songs themselves have a very mechanical feel to them. ("Mechanical" seems to be a term used a lot these days, isn't it?) They resemble sounds of Front Mission, meaning fast and furious action-like tunes with industrial sound effects. "Secret Story" is very eerie sounding and "Notice" has a very groovy beat to it. The more contemporary songs sound nice too, such as "Blue Sky" and "A Store Keeper". The few songs that newcomers Junya Nakano and Masashi Hamauzu have done are well done too, such as "Edel Ritter", "Approach To A Shrine" and "Naval Fortress".

If I had to make any comparisons, I would first have to say that there are quite a few of them. Believe it or not, there are actually many songs that sound like the composers' earilier works. Some of Uematsu's tracks sound very much like FF songs, with booming synthesizers and rich composition. Mitsuda's "Royce Felder" sounds very similar to Chrono Trigger's "Undersea Palace", with a moody, mysterious flair to it. Although there is nothing I could like more than the characteristics of Square's epic soundtracks, Gun Hazard is an excellent soundtrack as a radical departure in terms of style and sound.